Crystal Arts

The Crystal Arts store is located on Main Street USA in Disney World and in Disneyland. The store features lots of figurines and collectible items - including some that are made right in the store hot oven. There are some high price items, but there are many small items - quite simply they have just about anything to fit anyone's budget.

You can always ask one of the cast members about a gift that will your price range.

Sure we could just purchase a T-shirt or mug at the Emporium Store, but it doesn't have the same appeal as getting something nice at the Crystal Arts.

Fun Facts about Crystal Arts

Crystal Arts was previously at the seating area of Main Street Bakery. It was moved to the former Market House location. The new location is bigger.

On the sign it says it's established in 1875

The Town of Orlando was established in 1875. (I couldn't find anything else that would be significant for Disney in 1875.)

The Arribas Brother's have a their own website. You can read their story how their shop started in Disneyland and now have a store in all Disney theme parks.

You can join the Arribas Brother's Collector's Club for $19.50 which entitles you to save 10% on merchandise that you purchase in their store. You'll also be part of Greenback savings network where you'll save money on other stores.

Walk around the store and you'll see an area where someone does glass blowing or engraving. Also, note the porcelain giftware in the ally window. (Usually, find some very well done displays.)

Items purchased at Crystal Arts can be picked up at the exit, or at your hotel room or even better shipped to your home. We always have selected the home option because we don't want to have to worry about packing it for the trip home. You pay a bit more for the ship-to-home, but it's well worth it.

Magical Extras at Crystal Arts

Receive 10% off purchases at the Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers stores at Disney Springs(R) Marketplace, Magic Kingdom(R) Park and Epcot(R). Exclusions apply. Not applicable to shipping charges. Some other restrictions apply. Discount may not be combined with any other offer.

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New Starbucks Disney Mug

Recently we saw Disney selling a Starbucks mug with a new Disney Design. We were pretty excited about it, and were disappointed that it was only available in the park:

We liked the new design and didn't want to wait until our next Disney trip to get one.

We reached out to Mouseaholic Shopping Services and they were able to secure a mug for us. The price was very reasonable - your not paying an arm and a leg like you would when you deal with some eBay sellers. Note: The mug is very hard to find, but Mouseaholic Shopping Services was able to find us a mug.

Haunted Mansion Piano

At the Haunted Mansion waiting line is a piano. Most people when they walk by just hit the keys to hear the music.

Recently I thought - wouldn't it be cool if you played the famous Haunted Mansion organ music?

Nothing happens when you play the right tune. But what if one day that did happen?

Haunted Mansion Song

The official song of the Haunted Mansion is Grim Grim Ghost. However, most people will probably recognize the organ music. You hear this as you walk in the Haunted Mansion and as you're waiting for your doom buggy.

Favorite Things...

Many years ago I found a list of ?My Favorite Things at Walt Disney World.? written by a diehard Disney fan.

Here?s my ten things that I look forward to at every trip at the Magic Kingdom:

Walking down Main Street USA, making the turn by the Emporium and looking down Main Street.

Walking through the doors at the Haunted Mansion. Feeling the cold air and that distinct Haunted Mansion smell

The smell of popcorn on Main Street USA

Feeling the mist in the Pirated of the Caribbean ride

The smell of gasoline at Tomorrowland Speedway

Seeing the park transform at night.

Playing a game of chess with my daughter at Tom Sawyer Island

Enjoying a Dole Whip while watching people ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

Watching the Carousel of Progress show - always see something new.

Enjoying breakfast at the Crystal Palace as the first big meal of the Disney Vacation.

The orginal list:

My Favorite Things at Walt Disney World

This is just a fun list I brainstormed one day when I was "homesick" for WDW. I
posted the list in rec.arts.disney.parks and was amazed at the huge response as
a lot of other people posted their own personal lists of favorite things. Since I don't
have the permission of those folks, I'll stick with my original list here, but you
might want to put your own together just for fun.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...da da da da da (couldn't remember the words) and warm woolen mittens...brown paper packages tied up with string"...none of these can compare with my favorite things at WDW:

Entering the turnstiles, walking under the train station, and viewing the castle for the first time every trip

The turn-of-the-century music in the town square of Main Street

The big dill pickles you can buy in the cul-de-sac east of Main Street

Smelling the bakery and the candy shop

Breakfast at the Crystal Palace (Puffed French Toast)

An evening at the marketplace, browsing the stores, especially the kitchen store, the character shop, and the book store

Pirates of the Carribean...especially the dirty foot of the one Buccaneer that sits on the bridge toward the end of the town sceens

Strolling past the lawns and gardens surrounding Cinderella's castle

Browsing in the Yankee Peddler

"Helping" my wife mix purfumes in the Old Antique shop

Tony's Town Square Cafe

Slowly strolling the World Showcase Promenade... when everyone else is walking fast

Sitting in the lobby of the Grand Floridian...watching all the people that can afford to stay at this hotel and wondering if someday I'll be one of them

Soaking in the atmosphere at Dixie Landings

Riding the mountains (Space, Splash, and Big Thunder)

Impressions De France

The impromptu plays and events in World Showcase (the Chinese Jugglers, skits in the United Kingdom)

Listening to the phone "conversations" in the Main Street Market House

The organ music as I walk by the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

The jungle cruise at night

What About Your List?

What's on your bucket list? What are your favorite things that you look forward to each Disney World trip?

Swiss Family Robinson Tree

The Swiss Family Robinson Tree is a walk-through attraction in Walt Disney Adventure Land.

The attraction allows guests to see how the Swiss Family Robinson lived. The attraction is based off the book series and 1960 movie.

The attraction first opened in Disneyland in 1962. (Two years after the movie release)

This is a fun attraction for those kids that might be scared of dark fast moving rides - such as the nearby Pirates of the Caribbean. Also fun for kids that are just starting to learn to read, as there are information signs which describe each area of the tree.

Fun Facts

Some fun facts I found from other people from planning previous trips:

The tree in which the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse resides is called a Disneyodendron Exiums, or "out of the ordinary Disney tree," so dubbed by the Imagineers who built her. It is classified as a building, so is subject to the same safety and building codes as all of the other structures in Walt Disney World. Also, the tree contains 800,000 fabricated leaves, which each cost $1 to produce!

Swiss Family Treehouse has concrete "roots" that stick 42 feet into the ground, and a steel superstructure. That tree is gonna be there a while.

Swiss Family Treehouse -- Maybe it's because Swiss Family Robinson was one of my favorite books growing up, but I love this attraction.

The treehouse is a different experience in the bright sunlight when you can look out over the surroundings, or at night when you walk through Robinson's home in the flickering candlelight. I always go twice: once in the daylight and once after dark.

Sometimes there's a line, but it doesn't last, so if you see a line, come back by later.

In Disneyland, the attraction was closed in 1999 and reopened shortly after as Tarzan's Treehouse. The Swiss Family Treehouse is still alive in Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.

Hidden Mickey

We noticed a hidden Mickey on the Swiss Family Treehouse. This was on the actual bottom part of the tree, where the moss is starting to appear on it. There was several hidden Mickey shaped moss on the tree, we noticed it going up, but double-checked going down.

As you walk around the trunk of the tree before you get to the first room on the side of the tree is a side silhouette of Mickey.(not tri-oval) It is white with green moss splotched on it. I confirmed it with the cast member attendant who said he was told it was white and on the tunk. Another way to find it is lookup at the prayer room and you will see an oar sticking out of the bottom, the blade of the oar points to the place on the trunk.

There is a silhouette of Mickey positioned about halfway up the back of the tree trunk. Darker moss forms the outside part of the silhouette outline. You pass it in easily viewable spots the first time you are heading up the stairs and the last time you are heading down the stairs.

If you look at the candlestick and the two mugs, they look like a Hidden Mickey.

I noticed a Hidden Mickey in the carved design on the chair backs in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. It was in the room with the shell sink, which I believe is the dining room, and the distinctive three circles are there.

Police Phone in ToonTown

In Disneyland Toon Town there are various props to make it a fun place to visit. Just outside the Post Office is a mystery red phone. When you pick up the phone you can hear some pretty funny police conversations.

Here's a bit of the conversation that I captured back in 2000. To capture this audio, I actually brought a removable telephone pickup recorder that I got from Radio Shack. Luckily that the area wasn't too busy and I was able to capture this audio clip.

Walk Around The World Bricks

As you walk into the entrance at the Magic Kingdom you may have noticed some names on the pavements. These brick names were part of "Disney's Walk Around the World" a feature where you can forever be part of the Disney experience.

Sample stone names that you would see as you walk into the park.

Ten things Things I learned about the "Walk Around the World" bricks

The stones reach from the bus station to the monorail, originally they were supposed to go completely around the lagoon.

There are some bricks at the Transportation and Ticket center, and at the Polynesian and Contemporary hotels.

The bricks program started in 1994 and stopped in 2000. A few years later a new "Leave a Legacy" was introduced at Epcot.

On the top of each brick it shows the date of purchase.

Some bricks were refurbished in 2007 at the request of sponsors. The bricks were placed back with the new date.

The bricks cost between $85 and $250 depending on the size and location.

There are 8 Walk around the World bricks dedicated in memory of the children who died in the Oklahoma City bombing. They are located near the Bus stop and the Contemporary Entrance.

You can ask at the Info Desk for locations of any bricks. They have a map of the location of all the bricks.

It's possible the bricks will be removed as Disney may redesign the entrance. They committed to at least having them there for ten years.

Minnie Moo

Once upon a time at the Magic Kingdom they had live animals. It was part of Mickey Birthdayland from 1988 to 1996. They even had a special cow. What made the cow special was that it had a Disney marking on it.

On one of my visits in the early 1990s I took a picture of the famous cow:

In fact there were 2 cows, one in Disneyland (Minnie Moo) and one in Disney World (Mickey Moo).

At the time they had a sign about the cow at Disneyland:

Mickey Moo

A neighbor, walking past a dairy farm
in North Whitefield, Maine
noticed that the spots on one side of this
handsome Holstein bore a striking
resemblance to Mickey Mouse.
See for yourself.
It's right there in black and white.

The Petting Area was closed in 1996 and all the animals were moved to Disney?s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The Petting area was transformed into the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wise Acres Farm. If you look at the sign you can see Mickey Moo!

Minnie Moo died at the Disney?s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground in 2001. The Petting Zoo was closed in 2005 and the remaining animals were moved to Animal Kingdom.

There is a plaque for Minnie Moo on the wall in the trophy room at the barn at Disney's For Wilderness Resort & Campground.

Largest Hidden Mickey in the Parks

It's fun to walk around the park and look for Hidden Mickeys. Mickey Mouse ears are hidden very well just about every place you look.

In 2016, Disney install a solar farm near the entrance of Epcot just off of the World Drive. You can see part of the Solar farm from the road, but you can't tell it's a hidden Mickey.

Map Quest and Google Maps don't show the Solar Farm. Google Maps Mobile does show the hidden Mickey:

Finding the Solar Farm

The Solar Farm address is 1400 World Drive, Orlando FL. It's located on World Drive between Buena Vista Drive and Epcot Center Drive. It's on the right as you head towards the Transportation and Ticket Center.

The largest Hidden Mickey outside the park is located in Clermont, Florida. Disney has a 60-acre forest. This is located near 1699 Hicks Ditch Road. You can find it on Google Maps simply by typing in 'Hidden Mickey,' or by the address: 1699 Hicks Ditch Road, Eutis, Florida.

Is there a larger Hidden Mickey that you know of? Please share in the comments below.